Grand Escape
by BlackBear53
Summary: About two years ago I sat in Sedona, Arizona in a raging snowstorm. I started this story and honestly didn't know where to take it. It had the wanderlust like our character G Callen. It is set before LA so no one else will interact from the team. Most of the characters are mine as I do not own NCIS:LA or NCIS. (Rats)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a story that came about when I travelled to Sedona, Arizona for New Years two years ago. The West calls me as do the National Parks. They are something everyone should see before our government sells them off. Sorry for my cynicism. If this sounds like a travelogue I'm sorry but I love these places and want to go back. How nice it will be to do it with Callen.

Great Escape

Chapter 1

Washington D.C. can be a cut throat city and working for a federal agency doesn't make it any easier. There is a one-upmanship that boggles the outsiders mind. Many agents want to get out of D.C. and work in their agency offices in other parts of the country or even out of the country. FBI agent, G. Callen, was one of them, only he wanted out entirely; out of the FBI, out of the gophering he did for other agents and out of the three piece suits that incumbered him each and every day. He hated the suits that he were required for him to wear everyday and then there was the useless grind of the job. He wanted to feel that what he did meant something to his country and himself, not the endless drivel that he encountered day after day. He was also tired of fending off other agents who had agendas and who were willing to step on your forehead to get past you and move up that invisible ladder of success. After five years with the Bureau he began to feel the wanderlust setting in and he knew it was time to move on. Before the FBI he'd worked with the CIA and before that the DEA, with a small stint in Europe with NCIS. He'd met his good friend and sometimes mentor, Leroy Jethro Gibbs while working in Russia and Bosnia. It was good to have someone to bounce ideas off of and while he lived in D.C. he'd spent a good deal of time with Gibbs.

About a month ago Callen's other mentor, Henrietta Lange, called with a job offer. She'd been put in charge of setting up a new office of NCIS, The Office of Special Projects, in Los Angeles. Callen thought about thirty seconds before agreeing to come out for an interview. He arranged for a few days off and flew out to meet with her and the woman who would actually run the office: Lara Macy.

A young man by the name of Eric, who dressed like he'd just left the beach, met him at the airport and drove him through the nutty traffic that is LA. They arrived at a ramshackle factory building in one of the seedier neighborhoods of the city. To the unsuspecting eye there was nothing there. Inside, however, was a hive of business that interested Callen as soon as he saw it. There were high tech toys and the people who knew how to use them and that would make the job that much easier.

When he entered a woman came out to meet them. She was about five foot nine, with long blond hair and a very pretty face. While she was a beauty, she was all business. Eric introduced her as Lara Macy and then she invited him to her office. Henrietta Lange didn't show up for the meeting. She'd put in her good words about Callen before this meeting.

The interview must have gone well because before he left the building, she offered him the job and he accepted it. He'd never show it but he gave a sigh of relief at hearing he'd got the job.

After the interview and being introduced around the office, being asked if he'd like to chose his own team and turning that option down as he worked best alone. He didn't realize that Hetty would veto that decision and chose a partner for him. Eric then drove Callen to Miss Lange's home, Dovecote. He was to spend the next few days with her before heading back to Washington.

While flying back to D.C. he thought about what he'd miss about the city he'd live in and around for the past eight years or more and he decided that Gibbs and the Smithsonian Museums were it. The traffic, the people and tourists were not anything he'd miss. Little did he know that Los Angeles would rival if not outdo the D.C. traffic in a major way. After making that determination he dropped off for a nap on the way home. He'd have much to do when he got back to D.C.

When he arrived back to Washington, he went to his boss, tendered his resignation and called his partner who happened to be stationed in Denver, Colorado currently. Jay Curry and he worked well together but Callen sensed Jay's need to leave the agency as well. If Callen had to guess, Jay was looking for something while working out west as well. Jay asked that some case files be sent to him and gave Callen the file names and numbers. Callen, while he didn't recognize any of the files, he gave him one better. He'd hand deliver them on his way to Los Angeles. Callen gave him his time table and Curry agreed to it. They hung up and Callen put in a call to Gibbs.

Dinner that night would be at the diner that Gibbs liked to frequent. It sat under an underpass of Route 95 and had some of the best apple pie in the metropolitan area. Many of the senators from more rural states liked the food in the quaint diner as a change from la-di-da state dinners and gala functions. Gibbs had introduced him to a few and even the Secretary of the Navy ate there once in a while.

He and Gibbs sat at a booth and Elaine, Gibbs favorite waitress, came for their order. Gibbs ordered his usual, a bacon club sandwich with chips and Callen ordered the special, meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Gibbs had been curious as to why Callen had called but let the younger man take his time. G asked about their friend Fornell and about the rest of Jethro's team, DiNozzo and Kate. He was making small talk but Gibbs knew better than to hurry G.

Callen waited until they'd ordered the apple pie to share with Jethro. Gibbs wasn't too surprised. He knew that Callen was a wanderer and that it was only a matter of time before he uprooted and moved on and he was happy that he'd found something that really interested him. Callen would do very well in Los Angeles.

Jethro's eyebrow lifted a bit when he heard the name of the supervisor that G would be working under, Lara Macy. Their run in seventeen years ago left a cold feeling in his gut but he refused to let on about it. Callen was intuitive and picked up on it none the less and wouldn't let it go. No matter how much he asked, cajoled or badgered, Gibbs wouldn't tell him about the relationship between him and Macy. It would be a mystery for a much later date.

Each man retired to their own home and Callen packed up what little he owned. The furnished apartment held little of him. There were no furnishings to have shipped and everything of his fit into his duffle bag. He'd always wanted to be a man of few possessions and so he was. He'd never been allowed to own much in his life so why should he start now? No, everything of importance to him fit in the duffle that now sat next to the front door.

In the morning he took a cab to the office to pick up the files for Jay and then to Reagan International Airport and where he bought a ticket to Denver. From there he'd rent a car and drive to Los Angeles. He had two months leave from the Bureau that he needed to use up and he'd use it seeing the Great South West and the National Parks that he'd heard so much about but never had the time or the inclination to visit. He'd taken the time last night to book hotels along the way and had made reservations inside the parks at some of the best hotels. He'd been lucky that several reservations had been cancelled and he ended up with the rooms.

The long ride would be relaxing and that is what Hetty and Macy needed: a relaxed agent.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Callen's plane landed in Denver and when the flight attendant gave the all clear to use cell phones he placed a call to Jay Curry. He wanted to get rid of the files and be on his way.

When Curry answered his phone on the second ring and he suggested Zebulon Park, a few miles from the airport, as a meeting place. He explained that it would make the drive to Callen's hotel a shorter one than from the airport. Something in Jay's voice made Callen stop and take note and because he did that it meant that he couldn't accept the reasoning for the place of the meet as real. There was more to this file delivery than met the eye and when Jay felt the time was right Callen felt that he'd share with him. When Jay arrived and wouldn't share, Callen would talk with him and try to reason with him to get the rest of the information but he doubted getting the information would happen. His ex-partner could be extremely stubborn at some times and Callen felt this might be one of those times. Their stubborn streaks are what made them a good team. But Callen felt something "hinky" about the situation, as his friend Abby Scuito loved to say.

Callen took his time making his way through the airport, stopping to pick up a bottle of water and a snack or two to eat while waiting for Jay. He also waited for everyone else before picking up his duffle from the baggage carousel and renting his car. This was all done while trying to give Curry time to get to the park and for some reason Callen knew that Jay wanted to make sure he hadn't been followed. Maybe it was working so closely with him for the last two years that made it seem so. Callen shrugged and moved on.

Callen had spent the last few minutes eying the other people in the airport to be sure he'd not been tailed. Both men had called it 'gut instinct' while they worked together and both believed in self-preservation. It usually worked out well for them because of their cautious, stubborn natures.

Callen arrived at the park rather quickly after he'd spent all that time dogging it through the airport and still had to wait for Jay to get there. He found a bench in what little shade there was and ate one of the snacks he'd purchased. He took the time to look about and examine the area.

The park was a wide open space. There were a few trees and the city tried valiantly to keep a patch of grass and the gardens around it growing. They weren't doing so well with the endeavor. The west has been in a drought system for the last few years and even though Denver isn't exactly a desert it still suffers from a water shortage at times. Despite all that it was a pretty little park in a kind of 'down on its luck' kind of neighborhood. Children played on the swings and slides and ran around having fun while their parents looked on. Not one of them looked affluent or even comfortable with what they took home in wages and by the number of fathers there at two o'clock in the afternoon he thought that they many of them might be out of work.

Callen returned to watching the children play and felt that envy that he always felt at times like this. His childhood had been nothing like this. He always had to be older than his real age and wary of the adults in his life that used and abused the children in their care. It usually fell to him to keep the younger children safe as well. It was no way for a child to grow up and he hoped none of these would ever be in the foster care system. His mind went to when and if he ever had children and how he hoped their lives would be better.

While he pondered about the children on the playground and the ones, possibly, in his future, Jay arrived and sat next to him on the bench. The middle aged man who sat next to him had aged drastically in the last two months since he'd seen him. He looked haggard and had an ashen pallor to his skin. Callen wondered what had happened to him. "Thanks for meeting me here. I didn't think that you wanted to come to my office since you're newly set free." He gave a forced laugh but it wasn't filled with humor as he glanced about the park. Callen watched him with worry.

Callen's gut went crazy. Jay's behavior told him that something really wasn't right and in order to help him he needed to know what it was.

Curry's behavior and tone of voice brought G to an even higher alert level. He sensed a nervous level in his partner that didn't help with what he felt. "Jay, what's going on? Are you being watched or followed and if so, by whom?" G took a second to look around. "What is in these files that you wanted? There's almost nothing that we worked on together in here. I didn't recognize any of the file numbers."

Curry just grabbed the files. G kept his grip on them and met Jay's eyes but Jay just pulled them free and stuffed them in his brief case. "I'm working on something, something within the agency but the less you know the better. Besides you're not one of us now." If G hadn't known better he'd have thought that Jay was envious of his new freedom, but more so, he was afraid but of what or who?

Callen's jaw set and the tone of his voice made his point clear. "No, I'm just your mule." Callen didn't speak again right away. He took a moment and looked at the man who'd been his partner for the last two years. His faith in the man slipped a bit. "Is there anything I can help you with? Come on Jay, talk to me."

Curry got up to leave. "Call me when you get to LA. By then I should have all the information I need and will have brought him down. Talk to you then." Jay walked away and G walked back to his car. There was that feeling between Callen's shoulder blades that never boded well but if Curry didn't want to share he couldn't make him. Callen chose to walk away for the moment.

Callen climbed into the racy little BMW Z4 roadster he'd rented and drove to the Best Western that he'd stay at tonight. They suggested a restaurant down the street that had a nice little western theme working. The steaks he ordered reminded him of ones that he'd eaten at Gibbs house on many occasions and for one moment he regretted leaving the man behind. After dinner he opened his computer to map out the route he'd take tomorrow. It would be a long drive but he looked forward to it. These two months would be the vacation he hadn't taken in the last few years. He sat back and thought but he couldn't remember when he'd last taken time off of work to just do what he wanted. Every exotic location he'd visited in the last five years had an element of espionage or terrorism involved with it and he was tired. Tired of travelling, tired of being on his toes all the time and tired of not being in charge of anything. He'd been the low man on the totem pole for too long a time. He needed the rest that this trip would give him and he intended to get it.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Callen needs answers and the only other members of OPS at this time are Macy and Eric. So he goes to Eric for answers. None of the other team mates have been chosen yet.

Chapter Three

Callen's head hit the pillow around ten o'clock and just as his eyes slammed shut Jay Curry popped into his thoughts. Something really didn't seem right there and it had eaten at him all night. The ashen look on his ex-partner's face had scared G and he wondered if Jay were ill. He doubted it though. Whatever Jay was involved in was terrifying him. He hoped that Jay would reconsider and call him back and ask for help. Even more than that, he hoped Jay knew what he was doing. He'd been way too secretive about those files. Callen beat himself up because he didn't check the files and learn what they contained. Callen shook his head in the dark. He would call Jay in the morning to offer his assistance. If he said yes, Callen would stay and help. If he said no, Callen would go his own way without guilt and no harm would be done.

Callen fell into a fitful night's sleep dreaming, but he never recalled what he dreamed about. He just knew it was a very dark dream.

The alarm woke him at 5:30 AM. It hadn't been the most restful night of sleep and only gotten about three hours of uninterrupted sleep. He groggily climbed into the shower and then dressed for the day.

The same little restaurant opened at five for breakfast so he returned there to eat a hearty breakfast before travelling. They served excellent coffee, eggs, hash browns and piles of bacon. Callen sat eating and reading a newspaper that the previous customer left behind until 7:30 AM. He savored every bite of the meal. The waitress kept bringing fresh coffee and pretty smiles and Callen enjoyed every one of those smiles and all the food. But while he'd like to stay for more smiles he had to get moving. He paid his bill and sauntered out to his rental. While he walked G dialed Jay's number.

Jay answered his phone rather curtly. "Hello." It didn't have a friendly tone or feel to it.

Callen stopped short of his car. "Jay, it's G, about yesterday, I still want to know if you want my help. I'm willing to do that."

Callen could almost feel the hackles rising on his former partner's neck through the phone.

Jay's acidic response still took him by surprise. "If I wanted your help I'd have asked for it. What do you care anyways? You don't work for the Bureau anymore. Go away and leave me alone."

Callen couldn't argue with Jay. "Alright Jay, if you change your mind call me. I'll talk to you when I get to Los Angeles." With those words he hung up and got into the car, started it and headed for Route 70 west. The conversation with Jay played in his head until he hit the highway. There was nothing he could do so he let it go for now. When his vacation was over he'd get back to Jay and finish this one way or the other.

Route 70 heading west drops out of the mountains around Denver and onto the desert floor of Western Colorado and into the Eastern portion of Utah. After the soft greens and grays of the Rocky Mountains the tans and reds of the desert are harsh but even in their harshness they are beautiful. The colors speak of the hard life that people who live there have. Water is always an issue and the distances between towns and cities make living out there a solitary life in some instances. But even with distance and lack of water and the scarcity of people, the land is stark but gorgeous.

Callen did something he rarely did, he took pictures. He'd packed a camera but he never thought he'd honestly use it. He had a phone that took great pictures so why use the camera? But he stopped at the next rest stop, dug out the camera and used it. He'd put the pictures on his computer when he had a chance. The camera spent the better part of his trip on the seat next to him.

After a few hours driving Callen pulled of the interstate and found the hotel he'd made his reservation at. There was a small restaurant attached and he ate dinner. The food was just so-so but it filled his stomach and then he headed to his room. He took the camera and downloaded the pictures he'd taken that day. There weren't many but they were beautiful and so real. He spent the night watching ZNN to keep up on current events. None of it seemed good.

The bed was comfortable and soon he fell asleep. There were no dreams that he remembered this night.

The next morning he ate, packed his bag and camera and headed south down Route 15 towards Zion National Park. This park held some challenges that he wanted to take. He needed to test himself so this is where he'd do it.

The trip was a ride through the desert of tans, grays and the majestic reds of the mountains in the distance.

At the turnoff in Hurricane, Utah, he started his uphill drive to the National Park where he would stay in the Lodge. The whole area showed the affects of tectonic lifting and how the erosion from the Virgin River contributed to the landscape. The splendor of the land surprised the agent. Vacations were meant to be like this.

When he arrived at the gate he was waved through to the Lodge as only guests who were staying there are permitted to drive through. The ride in gave him a glimpse of some of the wildlife that inhabited the area, like mule deer and peregrine falcons.

He checked in and went to his room. The quaint backwoods motif, while nice, didn't seem to impress him much. He didn't need such fluff. To be dry and warm were all he really needed. The one thing that did impress him was the Pendleton blanket lying across the bottom of the bed. He then opened the door to the balcony and stepped out carrying one of the beers he'd purchased while on his way here. He sat in one of the Adirondack chair that were on the porch and gazed about. The sun had begun to fade from the valley but the rock wall across from his room was still lit up and the reds, golds, and tans were vibrant. That was what impressed him the most.

He spent the next half hour contemplating what he'd do for the next three days. Some were strenuous and others were just fun. Early tomorrow morning he'd start climbing Walter's Wiggles to Scout's Lookout and from there he'd make the climb up to Angel's Landing. This was the challenge that he really needed now. It was a way to reinvigorate himself. The next day he'd follow Kingman's Trail and visit the visitor center and the museum. There are always things to learn and he was a curious man. The last day he saved for the best adventure, hiking the Narrows. It's a slot canyon with the Virgin River flowing through it. You need special boots and special booties to be inside those boots to keep your feet safe and warm. The bottom of the river is loaded with boulders, which makes footing a problem, and he found out that those rocks move. He'd need to be super careful but he'd be observant to the scenery that would surround him as well.

When he'd done all he'd came to do he packed his car and headed for Bryce Canyon. While he was there he planned to take the Night Hike down to the bottom of the canyon, hike the Bristlecone Trail and see some of the oldest trees on the planet. He'd be carrying that camera for those because alone those trails were the majestic and mysterious hoodoos; sandstone that was eroded by wind and rain into various shapes and sizes, and which gave the canyon its ethereal beauty.

Seven days after leaving Denver and leaving all thoughts of Jay Curry behind, Callen began his long drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon had been the real impetus behind this trip. He'd flown over it hundreds of times but to be up close and personal always intrigued him.

The drive to the North Rim was long and mostly through farmland and some very empty places. The road was till breath-taking and he stopped often to take pictures.

Before he knew it he'd come to the entrance road to the North Rim, Route 49. At the turnoff is a place called the Jacob Lake Inn. It's a restaurant, mostly short order cooking, with a camp store for the people who camp in the area and a bakery. He'd heard rumors of great cookies so he would check it out.

Callen sat down at the counter and ordered a cheeseburger with coleslaw on the side and a slice of apple pie for desert. The meal went beyond what he thought he'd find out in the wilderness. There really wasn't much around here. On an impulse he bought a dozen chocolate chip cookies and then he hit the road. He still had another forty-nine miles to go.

He drove the long road past a campground set back in the hills, a gas station / convenience store and miles and miles of meadow. He reveled in how beautiful it all was.

When he finally arrived at the North Rim he parked his car in the vast parking lot and hoofed it to the Reservation Desk. He carried his duffle in his hand and the camera around his neck. He looked like a photo-journalist and he chuckled to himself as he saw his reflection in a glass door.

His reservation was for the far end of a cabin. It held a bunk bed, a futon and a desk. There were connecting doors to the bathroom. He chose the bottom bunk and lay down to rest his eyes for a few minutes.

After an hour of resting his eyes he rose, grabbed the camera and headed for the veranda behind the Lodge. It's huge and full of chairs and a rock wall that people were sitting on. The sun hung over the western end of the canyon giving a golden glow to everything that he could see. His camera came up and he spent the next few minutes taking pictures of the splendor. He knew he'd take more.

A few minutes later he moved into the huge dining room to eat. The ceiling stood high above the floor with rustic chandeliers hanging from it. The windows stood open so that the diners could enjoy the view as they ate. Callen paced his meal so that he'd be out in time for the sunset. As the sun set he took more photos. As he entered them into his computer he knew that when he got to Los Angeles he'd have quite the album.

The next morning Callen ate breakfast at the lodge and began his days of hiking both above the rim and below it on the Bright Angel Trail. He didn't come prepared for a real hike to the bottom of the canyon but some day he'd do it. As he hiked, every turn he took, gave him new vistas to capture and he enjoyed every minute of it all.

Again he spent the evening sitting on the veranda but this time he began listening to a ranger explaining about California Condors and how endangered they are. The ranger also spoke about how they'd returned several pairs back into the canyon to live. After dark, most of the visitors to the Canyon went back to their cabins but not him, he stayed to view the night sky. There were more stars than he'd ever seen before.

Callen rose early the next morning, grabbed a quick meal and began his long drive to the South Rim. Before he left he made sure to get morning light pictures of the canyon to add to his album.

The first forty-nine miles he'd done coming in but the morning he left the herd of buffalo thundered down the meadow and he stopped to photograph them. He thought it a breathtaking sight.

At the end of Route 49 he ran into Route 12 and moved south. At the next intersection he turned onto Route 89a and had to stop to take pictures of the Vermillion Cliffs, which seem to go on for miles. He followed the road into Page, Arizona, a small town at the opening of the Grand Canyon and the turnoff to Lake Powell. He passed on the manmade lake and kept driving south.

A large portion of 89a is within the Navaho Reservation. Callen understood their Spartan living arrangements and the distances they kept between each family and their homes. They tend to be solitary people. If he had to he could live like that. Interactions with people have always caused him pain. Being alone or being particular about his friends usually paid off for him.

Route 89a went on for quite a while but soon he turned off onto Route 64, which would take him into and through the Grand Canyon's southern rim. It would be another couple hours until El Tovar, the lodge where he'd stay for the next few days.

As he climbed from the highway he drove through Pinõn Pines and later into larger Lodge Pole Pines. He hoped he'd get to see more wildlife. He'd heard there were elk, deer, and even bears in the park. When he got to the entrance the rangers had left for the day so he drove through. He made his first stop at Desert View, used the bathroom and took more pictures. It seemed other-worldly to him.

He passed the next stop as dusk began to fall. He wanted to reach El Tovar before dinner was over.

Just as he passed the Tusayan Ruins he thought that an animal had darted across the road. Failing light gave him that impression but his gut said something else. He didn't believe it was a deer bounding across, but a human. The moves were more human like and they were moving a lot quicker than a deer moving from one bit of food to another.

He kept driving past the spot but he still his intuition told him something wasn't right. Callen pulled his roadster to the side of the road after going around a curve and climbed out. He stopped at his duffle and pulled out his weapon and placed it at his back. He might need it. He cautiously began retracing the way to the site only he went through the wooded area, carefully watching where he stepped.

In his mind he wondered why a person, he thought it was a woman, would run across the highway. He hadn't even seen any sign of a vehicle, so how'd they get here and why? He pulled the weapon from his back and slowed down his pace even more. He didn't need to run headlong into someone else's crossfire but there's a need to get to them.

As he grew closer he moved deeper into the woods. Luckily there had been a controlled burn a few years ago and it was mostly grass that he walked in. The down side of that meant that someone could see him coming. Thankfully there were also large boulders scattered through the woods like a giant had played a game of marbles with them. They gave Callen enough cover to move at will but he knew they'd soon come to an end.

Just as he moved from the cover of the rocks he notice a figure crouched down behind a boulder further towards the road. It kind of resembled the runner he'd seen and he'd been right, it was a woman.

G moved to join her. He eyed her up and down before letting her know he was there. She stood about five foot, four inches tall. She weighed about one hundred twenty five pounds, with blond hair, brown eyes and dressed in nice gray slacks and a nice gray and purple printed pull over shirt. She wore gray flats for shoes. Her jewelry had no hint of expense but it still looked nice. She wore no wedding ring but did wear an April birthstone on her right hand. She was an attractive younger woman. Even more reason to wonder why she came here.

Callen touched her arm and waited for her to speak and when she didn't he whispered to her. "What are you doing out here? Where's your car?"

The woman looked spooked and didn't say a word.

Callen knew he needed to get her back to his car and out of this area. He motioned for quiet, took her hand and moved back to the field of boulders. He pulled his weapon and she started and began to back up. "Oh, I'm a federal agent…sort of." He whispered and then waved the thought away. "It's a long story and I'll tell you later."

He grabbed her hand and began to move boulder to boulder. He heard a snap behind them but when he turned no one was there. Looks can be deceiving so he moved more cautiously.

As they moved closer to his vehicle he continued to listen for anything behind them but no sound came so he picked up the pace again and soon were in the BMW and on their way. He made sure to watch the rear view mirror but he never saw any one following.

It became a mystery as to who supposedly followed them. He needed answers and the person who could give them to him sat in the passenger seat. He gave her another five minutes to start talking and when she didn't he did. "My name is Callen, what's yours?"

She looked away and out of the window. "Cheryl."

He didn't need her sass. He needed information. "Cheryl who?"

She gave a throaty laugh and looked him in the eye with a devil may care attitude. "Callen who?" She then looked back out the passenger window.

For some reason her sass irritated him but he wouldn't let it show, just yet. "Just Callen."

Again the throaty laugh, but she turned her gaze back to him with a sassy tone. "You're just Callen, like Bono, Sting, Cher and Prince? I didn't know I was with a celebrity." She looked back out her window.

Callen grimaced and thought that went well. "I just want to help you and for that I need to know more, like your name and what you're doing running around in the woods like that."

She brought her gaze back to Callen. "Okay Callen, my name is Cheryl Taylor. The men following me are from the Reynosa Cartel." She stopped talking and watched Callen's face for his reaction.

G kept his eyes on the road both in front and behind them. No one followed them.

Cheryl laughed again. "You said you were a federal agent, sort of. What does that mean, exactly."

Callen hoped he wouldn't have to explain it but here it is. "I used to work for one federal agency and in a month and a half I'll be working for another one. I'm taking all of my accrued vacation in one lump sum, so here I am. What did you do for the Reynosa's to be following you?"

She'd hoped he wouldn't ask but now he had. "I stole my little sister back from their trafficking ring. I gave her over to the police in Phoenix to return to my parents and took off. It's probably not my smartest move."

Callen had to agree with her. "No, if you stayed with her you'd both be safe. I can get you back there in a few days."

After another forty-five minutes they pulled up to the front porch of El Tovar. This is the crown jewel of hotels in the Grand Canyon. She sits on the edge of the canyon overlooking one of the most amazing views in the world. Callen knew his camera would get a workout.

He registered as Mr. and Mrs. G Callen. He wanted to keep her safe so that meant sharing a room and besides, there were no other rooms to be had for her. Luckily the dining room was still open, as were a couple of shops where he could get some clothes for Cheryl. Hers were still in her car, where ever that was.

Callen carried the duffle to the third floor and they both hurriedly cleaned up for dinner and went down to eat.

As they ate their meals Callen kept watch over her shoulder for any signs of trouble that might arise. Absolutely nothing happened and that worried him.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: A great big hug and thanks to every one who has read and reviewed. You know who you are. Again it's kind of a travelogue but we're getting to the good parts. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

After dinner, which was close to ten o'clock, both Callen, who'd driven all day and Cheryl, who he supposed ran all day, slept. They didn't even care if it was in the same bed. Extreme exhaustion took them both.

The next morning Callen rose early to take advantage of the morning light for pictures of the canyon. Not many people were about, just the ones starting their hike down to Phantom Ranch in the bottom of the canyon and the through hikers. He followed them down about a hundred feet or so and then turned around to photograph the petroglyphs on the canyon wall. Big Horn Sheep and Abert squirrels were everywhere. He spent an hour or more wandering about while his "guest" slept.

He used the time to think about Cheryl: something about her made him cautious and nervous. Something didn't ring true in her story and it worried him. He tried using his cell phone to call Eric, in Los Angeles, but had no service. He'd have to wait until he could take a picture and then send it along with his concerns to NCIS. Maybe Eric could ease his mind and he would just need to cool it. There was just enough nudge factor in her story to make him shake his head no. Something wasn't right.

When he got back to his room Cheryl still showered. He went to the closet to go through her things. She didn't have a purse or a cell phone to trace, no way to know if she really was Cheryl Taylor or not. Oh yeah, he'd be calling Eric as soon as he could, like now.

He quietly let himself back out of the room and down to the reservation desk. The clerk looked up when he approached.

Callen smiled. "Excuse me. Do you have a pay phone?"

The clerk motioned to the stairway behind Callen. At the bottom two pay phones hung on the wall.

Callen smiled at the clerk and moved to the stairs and over his shoulder he acknowledged the help. "Thanks!"

Callen removed a card from his wallet that said L&M Enterprises on it. L&M actually stood for Lange and Macy and seemed like a clever way to hide what the card really meant. It happened to be the cover card for OSP. Callen dialed and waited impatiently.

Eric Beale answered "L&M Enterprises, to whom should I direct your call?"

Callen smirked at the younger man so far away. "Eric, its Callen."

Eric dropped the pretense. "Hey Callen, what's up?"

Callen knew he liked Eric. He's like your dorky, pesty little brother who's always in your business, but with Eric it never seemed intrusive. "I'm not exactly sure. I picked up a woman by the name of Cheryl Taylor. I found her running across a major highway in the Grand Canyon and her story is suspect. She says she's from Phoenix. It seems she'd gotten herself in a bit of trouble with the Reynosa Cartel." Callen looked up the stairs toward the lobby. "She stole her little sister back from one of their trafficking rings. See what you can find out for me."

Eric, always helpful, nodded. "Right, I'm all over it. Hey, do you have a picture of her, just to aid in the search?"

Callen smiled at his younger counterpart. "Not yet and Eric even if I did have one, I'm calling you on a pay phone."

Eric sat back appalled. "Ewww, that's gross. What happened to you cell?"

What Callen actually thought is that Eric needed to get out more. "No service at the moment but I'll keep trying. Talk to you soon."

Eric said his farewells and hung up.

As Callen came up the stairs, Cheryl came down. He gallantly showed her to the dining room.

The hostess gave them a table overlooking the walkway out front and beyond that, the canyon.

Cheryl's eyes were glued to the view. "Why'd you come here?"

Callen looked to her. "I've always wanted to come to the Grand Canyon and I've always wanted to see the National Parks. On this trip I've been to Zion, Bryce Canyon, the north rim and now here. I may head on to Sedona, Death Valley and the Mohave Dessert but I'll have to see about that." He took a moment to gaze at her wondering where her mind was. "Do you want to walk with me this morning? We can see if the cartel knows where we are."

Cheryl smiled at his suggestion. "Yeah. I'd like to do that. After all what man would leave his 'wife' in the room all day?"

Callen grinned back at her. "Yeah what man would leave his pretty wife in the room?" He meant it. Cheryl was an attractive woman and the new clothes that she'd brought looked real nice on her. He just wondered where this conversation would take them. He'd just have to wait and see.

Breakfast went by quickly and they made their way through the lobby and out to the front porch. No one seemed to be paying attention to them. There were no suits watching for them and to Callen that was odd. If the Cartel were watching and waiting they'd have come to the room for them. There'd been nothing. The situation caused an itch down his spine. Someone may have been having a good time at his expense or someone had set him up. He opted for the set up. It was all right because he'd play their game. He maneuvered Cheryl to the sidewalk in front of El Tovar. He'd taken the early morning pictures but the lighting had changed and there stood his opportunity to take Cheryl's picture. "Hey, how about we take a picture for the folks at home? Your mom would love to see where we are."

Cheryl threw objection after objection at him but she really didn't stand a chance of it not being taken and she knew it. Callen took it with his phone and not his camera and she knew why.

Now all Callen needed was a chance to send it to Eric.

They moved down the walkway past the Kolb Brothers photo exhibit and the gift shop to the Bright Angel Trailhead and then further down to the bus stop. The walk back tired Cheryl out and she opted to go back to the hotel. Again Callen didn't believe it for a second but let her go up anyways.

Callen left the front porch and wandered about for a little while and then went back to El Tovar to pick up Cheryl for lunch. When he went back to their room Cheryl wasn't there. She came in right behind him. He eyed her and went to leave the room. "I came back for lunch. Would you like some?" She spruced up a little and they walked down to the dining room. He knew at that point he'd been set up. Now he'd wait for the end game.

They spent the rest of the day sight-seeing and while they did that, Callen spent it watching his back.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the delay. It was a weekend of juxtaposition, one funeral of a dear friend and a wedding for another. Still feeling bewildered. Enjoy Callen as he's as bewildered as I am. Thank you to all who have reviewed, commented and just read.

Chapter 5

The next day Callen decided to push the envelope. He hadn't noticed anyone keeping watch over them but that didn't mean anything. They could still be there. However, he doubted it was the Reynosas. They were usually more heavy handed and definitely more noticeable. If someone was looking why hadn't they made their move? They'd been out and about and he'd never been really that protective of Cheryl and where had she gone yesterday? She'd never answered that question and to be honest he'd never pushed it for an answer. He still waited for her to come clean and when she hadn't he just waited for the other shoe to drop; eventually it would.

After breakfast, Cheryl and he left the lobby and took the walk to the bus stop out front of El Tovar. It only took a few minutes to get there but it was a chance for the cartel or whoever it is to try to grab them. They would have to take his as well because by now he would be a liability for them. He was hoping for a grab. Nothing happened and when it didn't it perplexed Callen with this non-event.

The bus would take them to another bus stop at which they would transfer to another bus for an hour long ride down Hermit's Road to the end of the line. Callen heard that there were more trails to lead down into the canyon and he wanted to see the terrain, which supposedly differed with the landscape around El Tovar and he'd have the chance to find who might be following them. He didn't spot anyone.

After the ride to Hermit's Rest, they left the bus and walked the short trail to the building. It held an information booth, a gift shop and a concession stand. The older stone building has a huge fireplace to warm the building in the winter. Callen had to admit the building had a lot of cool attributes.

After a quick stop for water and granola bars, Cheryl and Callen hiked out to the end point. It took all of ten minutes. Here the trails dropped down into the canyon and the scenery was beautiful. Callen noticed a bit of apprehension on Cheryl's part. "What's up?" He laughed at her. "Wait, you're not an outdoors girl?"

Cheryl hung back from the edge and she shook her head no, but her eyes spoke of other things: fear or a definite unease with what she saw.

Callen took her by the hand and she jumped a mile. "What's going on? We don't have to over the edge if you don't want to."

Cheryl never answered him. She stared into his face like she didn't know him, let go of his hand and began the walk back to Hermit's Rest alone.

Just as Callen moved to follow her a condor rose from below the rim of the canyon, riding the thermal drafts. The sight of the great bird amazed him. It was the one sight that stopped both of them instantly in their tracks.

Cheryl gasped at the sight. The giant bird hung fairly low, so low that they could almost read the tag that marked him as a released bird.

Callen felt lucky to have seen a condor in the wild and would remember it for the rest of his life.

Cheryl seemed shaken by it but not in a good way. She made a move to leave the area quicker, leaving Callen still watching the bird rising above him. He ran to keep up with her after the bird dropped down below the rim again and together they made their way back to the bus. It was making him crazy thinking about her reaction to everything they'd just witnessed and then wondering what had made it so. What had she gone through to have a reaction like that one.

At the end of the hour long ride back to the hotel, they got off at the first bus stop and walked back to El Tovar. Cheryl spoke not a word on the ride back and that added to Callen's concern. He'd have to dig to find out about her reactions and it might not be pretty.

Across from the hotel is the Hopi House. Callen suggested they go inside and see what it held. Callen loved museums. Cheryl wanted to go inside and learn more about the Canyon and its inhabitants. At least that's what she said. His trust meter was at an all time low. Callen really wanted to go to see if anyone had begun following them since they'd gotten off the bus. He doubted it for they all seemed to have disappeared: if they were ever there at all.

After the Hopi House they went back to their room and Callen opened the conversation with what had happened on their hike today. Cheryl, not saying a word, went in to take a shower for dinner and Callen still had no answers. He waited for his turn with the shower.

Callen took the time to go through her original clothing to see if there might be GPS locators. He found nothing. Since he never saw followers he wondered how they knew where they were; if they honestly did. He was missing something. Why weren't they making any moves toward them? Maybe that's where she went yesterday.

Callen moved closer to the window to look out over the canyon. His cell rang. The sudden return of his phone service surprised him. "Hey Eric, what do you have for me?"

Eric didn't seem to be his chipper self. "Callen the story she gave to you is true to a degree."

Callen's eyebrow rose. "To what degree?"

Eric chuckled but not a fun chuckle. "Cheryl Taylor did steal her sister back from the cartel, but here's the degree of difference, it was two years ago. I'm still digging on more information but the Phoenix Police Department tried to bury it." He chuckled again. "I'll find it. I've got mad skills."

Callen smirked and laughed a little. "I bet you do. Hey, I've got that picture and I'll send it now while we've got service. See you."

"Looking forward to it. Send it." Eric signed off.

Callen hung up and texted the picture to Los Angeles. It might be a bit of a wait for it so he'd make use of this time.

He managed to barely pocket his phone as Cheryl came out of the shower clad only in a towel. He appraised both her and the situation. She'd never come out of the shower half clothed like this before.

She seemed startled to find him still in the room. "I need to get dressed so could you please leave for a bit?" She motioned to the door.

Callen eyed her up and down once more and then nodded and headed for the door. He was pretty sure that had not been her initial intention.

Cheryl turned to the closet where her clothes hung. Callen made one more glance and noticed a scar on her shoulder. It could be a vaccination mark or something that had been placed subcutaneously. "Let me know when you're done. I need a shower too. I'll be in the lobby."

Cheryl nodded and he left.

Callen bounded down the stairs for no other reason than to expend pent up energy and frustration. He had much to ponder. Finding that mark on her shoulder meant she worked for a foreign agency or one here in the United States. The Cheryl Taylor name was crap. Like a bolt from the blue his cell rang. "Hey Eric, give me something good."

Eric jumped right in. "The picture you sent is not Cheryl Taylor. The woman's name is Hannah Streeter and she works for the FBI. The real Cheryl Taylor died by the hand of the Reynosa Cartel as she left the Phoenix police station that she'd just dropped her little sister with." He took a moment. "What's going on Callen?" Eric's concern for his new team mate was evident.

Callen turned to look back up the stairs he'd just come down. "I don't know yet but I'm about to find out. I'll keep in touch." He hung up and went to sit in the lobby and read some pamphlets that another tourist left behind. He didn't read much.

When Cheryl came down Callen quickly went up and took a shower. He then escorted her out to the car to find a quick dinner, one suited to a picnic and then a leisurely drive down to Desert View. He needed the time to think and decide how to handle this predicament.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched his passenger. Why be here and after him? He didn't even work for the FBI anymore. Did it have to do with Jay Curry? Once again he kicked himself for not looking into those damn files. Who did Jay want to take down and above all else why do it alone? He thought that he and Jay had become friends, not just partners and knew that G would help him.

Well being out at Desert View would definitely impress her and hopefully she'd talk to him about whatever this is.

He pulled into the parking lot and wondered where all these people who were parked there had come from. He grabbed the food and Cheryl by the hand and hiked out to find a private place to watch the sunset and have their little chat.

They walked for about twenty minutes before finding a more secluded place. Callen sat on a boulder and patted for her to sit next to him and then took their meal out and they began eating. Every few minutes G took a few photos. He caught a few with 'Cheryl' in them as well.

The air temperature began to fall but the rocks held their warmth. Cheryl began to move closer to G as if to keep warm.

This is what he'd been waiting for. She was about to make her move.

She leaned in and kissed him.

Callen, not really too surprised at her move, took her by the shoulders and pushed her back gently. "Cheryl, is this how you want to play this…or should I ask Hannah?"

Cheryl pulled back both physically and emotionally. "How long have you known?"

Callen opened a bottle of water and took a sip. He looked over at her with a skeptical eye. "Does it really matter? Something seemed wrong from the moment I saw you sprint across the road." He waited to see what her answer might be. "Why do all this?"

Cheryl, aka, Hannah became all business and much less wifey, girlfriend like, or even being just a girl. "You took some files from the Bureau. They want them back." She gave him a look that he couldn't decifer. "You don't even work for us anymore."

Callen wasn't surprised that the FBI knew he took those files but he was surprised that they didn't know they were still in house. "The FBI still has them. I dropped them off in Denver to Jay Curry, my ex-partner. What's this really about?" An idea dawned on him. "Who are you working for?"

Hannah didn't even look at him but her demeanor went cold. "I work for Damien Streeter, my father. He didn't like the idea of those files leaving the Bureau."

Callen got that part but what was in them. "Okay I got that but what was in the files? What's so important that Jay would want them?"

She shrugged. "They're old case files of my father's. They were from fifteen to twenty years ago. They should have no bearing on anything now. He just wants them back."

Callen began rubbing his fingertips with his thumb. That was his outward sign that his brain worked on a problem. "Jay's older than me and I was his junior partner. Did he work with your dad? Maybe even as his junior partner?"

Hannah's gaze returned from the horizon. "I don't know but there is a way to find out. We could ask my dad."

Callen shook his head no. "If that's the connection I don't want either of them to find out that we know. We need to protect both of them." He also thought that maybe they need to be protected from each other. He also wanted to protect Hannah from whatever Jay had in those files.

Hannah let out a sigh. There'd been no way she wanted to ask her dad anything about those days. He rarely speaks of them.

Callen stood up and bent to pick up their trash. He then gave Hannah a hand up from her stone seat. They walked back to the car and drove back to El Tovar.

Hannah went to bed and Callen went down to the lobby. He had a lot of thinking to do. Tomorrow he had intended to drive down to Sedona to spend a couple of days seeing the sights. What he learned tonight might just change that. He'd wait and talk to Eric in the morning and see what information he could find on Damien Streeter and Jay Curry. He knew it would be informative.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next morning the canyon filled with clouds before the sun rose. They hung just below the rim and would rise up and out once the air in the canyon warmed for the day. It gave a sense of eeriness to the canyon from the window in his room. Callen, for one, viewed it with sadness. He'd hoped to see it in full sun one more time before leaving. He had no idea what it made Hannah feel. She was in the shower and taking her sweet time. Maybe it would lift before they left.

Before going out to take pictures of the cloudy canyon he placed another call to Eric Beale leaving a message looking for background on Damien Streeter and Jay Curry. He didn't really want to find dirt on either man. He didn't know Streeter but spending time with Jay Curry taught him a lot over the last couple of years and he respected him for that. He also didn't want Hannah to regret working for her dad or for her to lose the good image she might have of him. That might be out of his control so he stopped thinking about it.

Now he sat in the lobby waiting for Hannah to come down. He'd been waiting there for over a half hour and the need to hit the road made him itchy. It's a two and a half hour ride to Sedona if they go direct and possibly three or four if they meander, which is what he intended to do. There was so much to see between here and the Red Rocks of Sedona. They still needed to eat breakfast, gas the car and head out of the park. He wanted to head for Maswik Lodge for the food and coffee and then down the highway to Valle for gas.

Another fifteen minutes passed. Callen glanced at his watch, looked toward the stairs and rose, grabbed his duffle from next to his feet and climbed the stairs back up to their room. As he moved to put the key in the lock a housekeeper stopped him. "Your lady went down already. She carried her bag and said she would meet you in the lobby. You must have missed her."

Callen gave a concerned smirk. He knew he'd been hoodwinked by Hannah, again. "Yeah, I must have. I think I forgot something inside anyways. Thank you."

He opened the door and gazed around the room. Everything he'd bought for Hannah hung in the closet as if she didn't need it or want it. Her original clothing she'd worn when he found her was gone as were the toiletries from the bathroom.

Callen sighed to himself. He'd expected it but not this soon. Oh well, he'd have to do this on his own. He took her clothing from the closet and packed it neatly in his duffle and left the room.

He went back down the stairs, checked out and walked to the parking lot where the BMW was parked. The clouds were beginning to lift out so he spent a moment taking a few more photos of the beauty before him. He then sauntered to his car.

A note waited for him under the driver side wiper blade.

Callen:

I'm so sorry for the deception. I'll see you in Los Angeles and we'll catch up. The ride to Los Angeles with you might have been fun. Maybe we'll get together when all this is done.

Thank you for your help, for being a gentleman and for your honesty. All of it is important to me. See you in Los Angeles.

Hannah

Callen chuckled to himself, put the note in his pocket, threw the duffle in the trunk, got into the roadster and pulled out into the confusion that is Grand Canyon Village.

The Maswik Lodge Cafeteria is a surprising place. You don't really expect food to be this good in a place like this, but it was. He wolfed down a good sized breakfast burrito and ordered a large coffee for the road. Fifteen minutes later he was headed south to Valle where he'd stop for gas and make the turn down Route 180 toward Flagstaff, a scenic ride through the aspens, the San Francisco Mountains and beyond that, Sedona, and a cell phone conversation with Eric Beale.

Five hours later after an amazingly scenic ride, he pulled into a little bistro in Oak Creek Village to eat lunch and make that call to the Office of Special Projects.

Eric answered on the second ring. "Just the man I wanted to talk to. The information you requested just popped up on my computer five minutes ago."

Callen gave his smirk looking out the window of the cantina at the red rock formations in the distance. "I'm beginning to like you more and more Eric Beale." He stopped smiling. "Now what've we got?"

Eric smiled and Callen swore he could hear a blush from the tech boy. "Thanks Callen. Curry and Streeter were partners from 1999 to 2006. They shared accolades on some high profile cases concerning the Molina Cartel and the Reynosas at the same time. The cases were about gun-running across the border with Mexico with some oversea deliveries as well. There were also several instances of human trafficking as well, by both cartels."

Eric continued. "Jay Curry was the junior agent in the group. Streeter was the senior along with another agent, Jonas Wheeler. One of their cases, a trafficking case of the Reynosas went sideways. When the take down happened, Jonas Wheeler was killed in the gun fight. The FBI believes now it may have been a hit but no one can prove it. Streeter and Curry were split up and given new partners. Curry made senior agent at that point. Streeter's star continued to rise and Curry was given his own team. He did battle with both cartels but whenever he had the Molinas dead to rights a piece of evidence would suspiciously go missing. They never could figure it out. Anytime he made a case against the Reynosas he'd win. Curry questioned it a few times and then his supervisor shut him down. More than once he was stopped by Damien Streeter's office."

Eric stopped reciting for a moment. "Streeter never worked on a Reynosa case again, only the Molinas. Jay finally decided to ask why and again the powers that be shut him down."

Callen now knew what it was that Curry wanted and why. His integrity and the work he did were treated as suspect and it bothered him. It held him back and G could see why that would irritate Jay. He knew his ex-partner to be a stickler for details. How many times did he have to go back and make sure of the tiniest things? When they had a case it stood up in court. G could understand why Jay wanted to straighten out the past. He hung up with Eric and began to think about Jay. Would they go after him and was he in danger from the FBI? If Streeter did what Jay assumed and he could now prove it and the answer would be yes. The fact that he sent his daughter after G made Streeter scum as far as Callen thought. Jay definitely needed protection.

Callen put his phone on speed dial for Jay Curry. It went to his voice mail. "Jay, this is G, go into hiding. Streeter is gunning for you. Go under or better yet meet me in Los Angeles in three days. Do it Jay. We'll get him together. Do not do this alone. Do you hear me?"

He hung up worried about his friend. He left his lunch half eaten, paid his bell and left the cantina. He continued into downtown Sedona past all the red rocks and somehow never saw them. He drove to the hotel where he'd stay overnight before heading south to Phoenix and west on Route 10 straight into Los Angeles. He lost himself in thought about how to find Streeter and how to keep Jay alive.

Jay Curry was going to need help and G Callen would gladly give it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks to all the readers who've taken time to read and to review. This chapter was delayed due to life throwing curves and no internet for a few days. Thanks again and read on!

The next day dawned bright and clear without a cloud in the sky. Callen checked out of his hotel and drove up to the airport for breakfast because that's where the desk clerk told him the best breakfast in town was. He stood by his car as the sun rose and claimed its spot in the heavens. Breathtaking would be the word Callen would use to describe it except for all that beauty it did nothing to lift his spirits. He worried about Jay and didn't completely know how he would help his friend. He just knew he'd try.

His cell phone rang and the number on the caller ID didn't seem familiar to him. He answered it anyways with a bit of hesitance.

The voice on the other end sounded nervous and out of breath but he recognized it. "G, I just got your message and I'm on my way to Los Angeles. I want you to meet me at the train terminal in two days. I'll be coming in at 10:00PM from Salt Lake City. I'm sorry I turned your help away. I didn't want you to get hurt in all of this."

"Jay, it's okay. We'll figure this out. I'm leaving Sedona today and I'll be there when your train arrives. Take care and don't worry we'll get them all." Callen relieved that Jay called, still worried that someone could get to him anytime within the next two days. He had to make sure he could meet that train. "I'll see you there and we'll figure this out together. Just watch your back."

Curry's nerves seemed to abate with Callen's promises. "I will G. Please, just be there."

Callen began moving to the door of the vehicle and opened it. "Jay, I'll be there and I'll bring help if I think we need it. Just be careful. I'm leaving now and should be in Los Angeles in plenty of time. Relax but still be aware of your surroundings."

Jay sighed into the phone. "Okay, knowing I have help coming makes it easier. See you in Los Angeles G."

Callen sat in the driver's seat and relaxed a bit. "See you Jay."

The ride back to Route 17 and south to Phoenix should have been a gorgeous ride. Red rock monoliths lined both sides of the road and the urge to stop and explore grated on him but Jay held more importance. He drove on promising himself a return someday.

An hour and a half later Route 17 met Route 10 in Phoenix and Callen made the turn west to the Colorado River and Los Angeles. Lots of desert between Phoenix and Los Angeles and Callen looked forward to the miles. It gave him a chance to do some thinking about what to do and how to do it. He would definitely need some help from Hetty and Macy. At the next rest stop he pulled in and placed a call to Hetty.

Two days later Callen waited at the train station in down town Los Angeles to meet his friend. He sat in one of the fine leather settee's that graced the lobby and casually glanced around the terminal. The décor led him to think about the heyday of train travel in the United States and the opulence that it once held. He sat in the section closest to the gate where Jay would arrive. He felt a need to make sure Jay wouldn't ever be alone.

Jay walked through the doors from the tracks. His face, pale and his eyes darted about the room, finally landing on G. The relief that showed on his face gave Callen a real jolt. He'd never seen his partner express that much apprehension. When he worked with him Jay'd been tough as nails. He never flinched even when they were on a takedown of the hardest criminals. This would be totally different for both of them.

Stepping up to his friend, he extended his hand and pulled Jay to him and then towards the car. The man carried only a backpack as his luggage. Callen assumed the files were on a flash drive and hidden on his person somewhere. "Let's get out of here and have a long talk about how to handle this."

Giving a emphatic nod, Jay acknowledged the need for help and they moved out of the station and to the car. They drove to a hotel on Venice Beach where Curry and Callen would remain under an assumed name, at least until Streeter was captured. They'd hide in plain sight amongst the crazies that inhabit Venice Beach.

Callen knew that once Streeter knew Curry had arrived in Los Angeles, they get a call from him and Callen could scarcely wait for it. The whole situation irritated G and he wanted to take Streeter down for whatever reasons.

Jay sat looking out the window at the beach most of the time. He couldn't sleep and he definitely didn't eat much. Callen worried about him. It saddened Callen to see Jay reduced to this. He decided to break the curse that Streeter had placed on Curry. "What did you find in those files that you had me bring to Denver?"

Jay's head turned to Callen. "All the proof I need to hang Damien Streeter."

Callen nodded to acknowledge that information but he needed to know more before he proceeded with this. "What did he do? How can you get him now?"

Jay gave a half hearted chuckle. "There aren't any statutes of limitations on taking bribes from cartels. He's been taking them for the last fifteen years and I can prove it. To add to that, every time I had the Molina's ready to take to court one of his 'cronies' would check my records and find some key piece of evidence missing. How convenient for the Molinas. By doing all that he sabotaged my career, relegating me to backwater locations around the country. I was stripped of my team. I have only recently gotten junior agents to train. You were the first in a very long time."

Callen felt all of Curry's pain. He'd known he was the first partner to be placed with Jay in a long time but never knew why. He still had to get Jay out of the doldrums and into the here and now. "How were the bribes paid? Do you have documentation of the transactions?"

Jay smiled a weak smile. "I've been looking into this for a very long time. I have everything I need to take him down. I'm not leaving anything to chance this time. I have it all on a flash drive and I will deliver it when we deliver Streeter to the FBI.

Callen believed him but had a doubt about whether they'd deliver Streeter alive or not.

Jay's voice held a tone and there was a finality about it, just who's finality was unclear. "Jay just in case they get a hold of the flash drive let's make a copy of it. I can take you to NCIS and they can copy and they'll hold it for safe keeping."

Jay agreed and they went to the Office of Special Projects building.

Callen pulled up in an alley behind what seemed to be a deserted office building.

An old freight elevator took them to the third floor. When the door opened Jay's eyes nearly fell out of his head. "Wow, I'd never have imagined this from the outside." He looked from one side of the room to the other as people moved from one area to another.

Callen had to agree with Jay. It caught him off guard when he'd come for his interview with Macy as well. He spotted Eric across the room and hailed him. "I know huh? Hey Eric."

Eric Beale had just come down the stairs from the floor above. "Callen it's nice to see you." He took the proffered hand and shook it. He turned aside. "You know you can't bring strangers in here, right?"

Callen smirked at the remark. "He's not a stranger. He's my ex-partner, Jay Curry. He is currently under my protection."

Eric thought about it a moment longer. "Okay then, what are you doing here?"

Callen handed him the flash drive that Jay gave him. "Can you make a copy of this for me and keep it here? We need the original to lure Special Agent Streeter of the FBI out. If we don't make it I want NCIS to find him and arrest him for taking bribes, destroying evidence, obstruction of justice and if he kills us, murder."

Eric paled. "You don't even technically work for us and yet you're bringing us a big case. Wow! Hey does Hetty know about this?"

Callen gave Eric one of his smirks again. "I called her and she gave me her okay. Eric I really do work for NCIS because Hetty brought me on board two days ago."

Eric gave Callen a big grin. "Good to know! I'll get right on this." He turned back to a computer and plugged in the drive and began to copy everything over to a new drive."

Callen wasn't done yet. "When you're done pull up Damien Streeter's bank statements for the last fifteen years. I need proof of money being sent from the Molinas to him."

Jay stepped up and joined the conversation. "Don't bother. It's all on the drive. I've hunted it down for a long time."

Eric looked to Callen for confirmation.

Callen's gut said to still do it but his trust in Jay said let it go. "Never mind Eric."

Jay walked away to look at the big screen.

Eric raised an eyebrow as is to ask 'should I?;

Callen nodded yes and Eric moved onto the bank statements. It would be best if Jay didn't know about this part of Callen's investigation.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It didn't take long for Streeter to find them and when he did, he called Jay and set up a meet.

Callen called Special Ops and talked with Macy about how to handle it. They both agreed that less would be more. Macy gave Callen and Curry permission to plan and execute the mission as they saw fit.

The warehouse that Streeter called as the rendezvous point had been there for years. The parking lot should have been called a pot hole lot as that is what it mostly was. There were assorted packing crates with old pieces of rusting machinery stored in them. Who knew if they'd ever be hauled away? The building looked in the same condition. It had seen better days and many companies. The doors were replaced with a glass foyer a few years ago and the neighborhood gangs used them for target practice.

Callen and Curry let themselves in and cleared the first floor. Nothing awaited them there but dust bunnies; no agents and no Molinas. Both men climbed the big flight of stairs to the second floor. Callen pushed Jay behind him as they climbed. If Streeter saw Jay he might shoot first but if Callen came up before Jay Streeter might take the time to have a chat.

Three steps from the top Callen stopped to peek through the railings to check out the floor plan and see if any bad guys waited for them. There were people there. Callen spotted an obvious agent and a man that dressed far above his pay grade. Callen assumed that would be Special Agent Streeter.

Jay looked directly in front of them as he walked up the stairs. Two agents stood waiting. One was a lean, tall nicely dressed male and the other must be Hannah Streeter according to the description that G had given him. She was a handsome woman.

Both men knew they were walking into a possible trap. When men like Streeter cross the line they don't like the idea of being caught and taken down. This would be a fight to the finish for someone. Callen hoped it wouldn't be them.

Callen moved cautiously up the stairs, signaling Jay to stay put for a few minutes.

Jay nodded his agreement but pulled out his Smith and Wesson, just in case.

Callen nodded and pulled his Sig Sauer as well. He then shouted up to the man who stood in the middle of the floor. "Streeter, do you really want to have this discussion with Hannah here? Your daughter may hear things you don't want her to. It's your call."

Hannah walked over to met Callen at the top of the stairs. "What's that supposed to mean?" When Callen didn't answer she turned to her father. "Daddy, what's he talking about?"

Streeter didn't acknowledge either question. He kept his attention on Callen. "Mr. Callen where is Jay Curry and the information I asked for? You do realize that you took some important information from me and I want it back."

Callen gave one of his smirks. "Really? I thought I took vital information for a case to my ex-partner. I carried it to a fellow FBI agent. It never left the agency. Now I find out what it pertained to and wonder how this information had never been discovered before. Would you like to explain that to me? We could have Hannah leave if you don't want to talk in front of her."

Hannah spun on G. "Again with the wanting me to leave…why?"

Callen's gaze returned to the agent across the room. "Well sir, does she leave or what?"

Hannah tired of being invisible and sensing something disquieting about to happen moved her attention to her father. "Daddy? What is G talking about? What did you do?"

Jay took that moment to step out of the stairwell. "Damien, answer Callen's questions and while you're at it answer your daughters as well. We're all waiting for the answers from you."

Streeter looked at Jay like a bug to be squashed but didn't move. "You know don't you? Why didn't you come to me instead of involving your partner?"

Jay just looked at Callen. "Yes I do know almost everything and I didn't come to you because I value my life. You'd have had me killed to keep it secret." Jay waited one moment and then continued. "I just need to know why you chose me to use as a scapegoat? Was I that easy of a target that you thought you could hoodwink? That would never ask questions? You left me behind, taking everything from me. You're pals took evidence from my files and destroyed it making me look like an idiot and a miserable excuse for an agent. They took my junior agents from me until someone gave me the benefit of the doubt and Callen came on board." He looked directly into Streeter's face and grinned. "You ruined my career so now it's my turn to ruin yours."

Hannah took this moment to move to stand with Callen and Curry.

Streeter didn't like that. "Hannah, it's time for you to leave."

Callen motioned for Hannah to leave but she balked. "What for?"

Callen shook his head. "Please go wait at the bottom of the stairs if not because you don't need to hear this but I want to keep you safe. I don't think this is going to end well. Jay and your dad need to work something out. We'll be down shortly."

Hannah nodded to G. During their few days together she learned she could trust him. She'd been the one that hadn't been honest and she regretted it. That gave her a reason to feel complicit in whatever her father had gotten himself into. She moved toward the stairs and went down.

Callen gave a sigh of relief. She didn't need to be here for the conversation between Jay and Streeter.

Jay's attention never left Damien Streeter. He watched him like a hawk watching his prey. "Well Damien, you know the drill. You are under arrest for taking bribes from Arturo Molina for the last fifteen years and obstruction of justice for ruining all of my cases against the Molinas. I expect a list of all the people who tore my cases apart to help you. Callen will read you your Miranda Rights."

The two other agents moved in to help with the arrest of their boss, handcuffing him and leading him to the stairs. Jay asked if they'd been in on it. One answered that they'd only been asked this morning to accompany Agent Streeter after his arrival in Los Angeles.

Hannah, obviously, hadn't gone down the stairs very far. She'd heard it all and raced back up to confront Jay and G. "Are you sure of this? It can't be true." She turned to her father in disbelief and tears streaming down her cheeks. "Daddy, tell me it isn't true."

Damien Streeter looked down at his daughter as the agents walked him past her. His sneer as he passed her made Callen understand how a man like Streeter used his daughter in this operation. It disgusted him. "Hannah, grow up. When you were being raised by your mother and I we lived in Alexandria, in a very nice house. Your mother belonged to the country club so she could play tennis. You and your brother attended Georgetown. How exactly did you think we could afford all that on a government salary and without student loans? Don't be stupid. You lived well on all that money and don't forget it." The agents moved him further along to the stairs.

As they made the turn to the stairs the room exploded around them. Automatic gunfire erupted from the other side of the room and bullets flew everywhere.

Jay took a bullet in the upper left arm and one to the right leg. Neither wound would kill him. Callen pulled him to the stairway and then grabbed Hannah who'd dove for the floor.

Callen then poked his head up as one of the Molinas made a move toward the back stairwell. Callen took a shot and that man went down. Both agents had wounds but Damien Streeter would not get back up. One bullet had gone through his head and others had hit the center body mass taking his life. Callen knew that Streeter's usefulness to the cartel had finally run out.

More shots came from behind two piles of machinery on the other side of the room. They weren't serious about harming anyone anymore but were fired to cover their escape.

Now that the shooters had made their escape Callen called OPS to have ambulances sent and to alert LAPD about the shooting. They also needed a medical examiner for Streeter.

As they left the building, a black Escalade peeled out of the parking lot and down the road. It had no plates and Callen knew it would be stolen.

Ambulances screamed into the parking lot and began to triage the group and to take them to area hospitals. Callen rode in with Jay and Hannah went with her co-workers.

Just as the EMT's rolled Jay into the emergency room Callen's cell phone rang. "Well Mr. Callen, how did it work out?" Callen chuckled. Hetty always had exquisite timing.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A/N: I want to thank those of you who read my travels with my friend Callen. Knirbenrots, thank you for all the wonderful reviews, follows and favorites.

A month later Callen put Jay on the train heading back to Denver and a different life than he'd left there. He'd recovered from his shooting quickly and spent time with Callen investigating G's new home base. He needed the time to put his thoughts in a row and he also needed to make sure the FBI had all the information it needed to put Damien Streeter's treachery behind them. Both men promised to keep in touch with each other but both men knew it wouldn't happen. Not that they didn't want to, but both knew the nature of working for competing government agencies and the problems it could cause in a friendship.

Jay and his fellow agents all went back to their lives and their jobs at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and were beginning to put the past and all the information Jay had given them behind the agency. The FBI agreed to look into the cases that had been interfered with. They weren't sure what could be done with them but Jay had been given kudos for finding out what had been done and finding those responsible. Maybe the files that Jay filed would be used to help with new cases. No one knew for sure how but they'd give it a try. When Jay finally got back to work in Denver he'd find a team of agents and a few junior agents to teach and more coming in the future. There would be a nice raise for him as well. Callen couldn't be happier for him.

Right after getting to the hospital with the wounded, Hannah disappeared. Callen hadn't heard from her at all. It did seem a bit odd to G but understandable. There should have been a lot of questions to answer but so far nothing from her. He also knew that those would come with time and if there were any, she'd show up.

After leaving the hospital Callen arranged to bring Hetty and Macy up to date as to his usefulness in the case and what the cases could mean for NCIS. There could be ramifications to the Streeter case that moved beyond the FBI. Eric returned the flash drive to the FBI to give them the information they needed. Because of the data gathered by Jay Curry, Arturo Molina was arrested for bribery of a federal employee.

Since Callen had lost the last two weeks of his vacation Hetty magnanimously gave him two weeks to use as he wanted or needed. This came with a stern warning to be back on time and not a moment later. They had serious work to do.

He already garnered an apartment on Venice Beach so he didn't need to worry about that. He glanced out his window to the beach and the people walking on the boardwalk. It was time to go. He picked up his duffle bag and walked out to his car.

As he walked to the Aston Martin that Hetty had allotted to him. He stopped in his tracks and began to smile.

Standing next to the car was Hannah Streeter. "You said Sedona would be amazing and I sure could use something amazing right now." Her smile faded as he moved closer to her.

Callen's heart went out to her. "What's going on? Why the long face?"

She gave a half hearted laugh and looked off, down the street. "I quit my job. My comfort level there was nil. No one wanted to work with me, so… I left."

Callen pulled her in for a hug. He knew what it felt like to be unwanted. "Well it just happens that I'm headed that way and I could use the company. You know anyone that might want to go?"

Hannah smiled and moved to the other side of the Aston Martin. She lifted her bag over her head. "My bag is packed and ready to go, so, what are we waiting for?"

Callen opened his door, threw his duffle in and unlocked her door. "Not a damn thing." He motioned for her to climb in. She threw her bag in and slid into her seat.

He climbed in, started the car and they headed for Route 10 east and Arizona. This might just be a better two weeks than G had hoped for.

A/N: During the last few weeks we received notice that my husband's cancer has returned. I want to take time to be with him for the next few months. I will continue to write and when I do we'll see where we go. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and words of encouragement. Have a wonderful holiday season and a blessed New Year.

BlackBear53

Sue


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